In Search of a Simple Project

This project was finished earlier in the week but I waited to blog about it because I’m hoping it gets to the intended recipient before she has a chance to read this. It was raining too hard for me to drive to the post office so it will go out in tomorrow’s mail.

Iron caddy in carrying position

Insert travel iron and off you go

I saw the pattern for this in a quilt shop here in November and hoped to have it done for my friend’s birthday in early December. Uh, I don’t think I made it. It looked so cute and so easy when I looked at the picture. My good friend could take it to the quilt classess and retreats that she so enjoys. How hard can it be to sew four layers of fabric together and bend them into this cute little caddy? I’ve been sewing for years so I should just zip right through it.

Ironing side

I’m going to tell you something I have had a hard time admitting. All those report cards in grade school saying “Marlene doesn’t follow directions well” may have been onto something. Personally, I think the directions were written by someone who has made this hundreds of times and doesn’t understand the idea of missing information. I missed the information in small print that said “preshrink material before cutting”. Then I cut it and read the measurements incorrectly. I cut up 4 pieces of material and finally chose a different fabric entirely. Then it went together so much easier. I finally figured out my friend would be more agreeable with the last one so it was the Universes way of letting me know.

At the end, when it came to figuring out how to fold it into a caddy, the instructions were not there. I had to look it up on the internet. What happens if you don’t have access? A lot of my older quilting friends don’t do computer. Really!

In all my years of sewing and crafting, I have rarely done anything the easy way. My last husband asked me why I insisted on beating myself up so much? It’s in my DNA. Somehow, I see something that looks so beautiful and I just have to make it. Like this dress I made for my daughter. I was working in a fabric store and material was discounted if I made something and it was displayed to entice customers. I had never sewn plaids before so let’s just go all out and make it long and ruffled. It took six yards of fabric with plaids matching up the center front, exactly and at every other point of connection. The planning before cutting was incredibly time consuming. I was much younger and healthy at the time or maybe the directions for the dress were just better. You’d think I’d learn.

Someone offered my $100 for it while hanging in the store.

Her favorite Christmas dress.

Just like the casserole caddy I made for my sister, this was not as easy for me as it looked. It might be easier for others who know how to read and follow directions. Will I give up on the hard projects? I have several (many) quilts to do, a big shirt where you cut the pattern all apart and put it back together patchwork style waiting. Any chance there is a simple project in that room? Probably not, so maybe I’ll just sit here for awhile reading all of your wonderful blogs; living vicariously for a bit.

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” ― Confucius

From my heart to yours,
Marlene Herself